20k Support Unwed Butte Central Teacher

A christian group, 'Faithful America,' has been gathering thousands of signatures to bring to the Diocese of Helena. They will urge the Bishop tomorrow to rehire the pregnant teacher who was fired for having a baby out of wedlock from Butte Central elementary school.

Controversy/Religion aside... could you imagine working somewhere for 8 years, finding out you are with child and then getting fired? Now you have to worry about how you're going to take care of this child, and how you will be able to financially continue.

More than 20,000 people have signed this petition supporting fired elementary teacher Shaela Evenson. Many of these signatures come from Central alumni and current parents who have students going to Butte Central. Multitudes of people disagree with the superintendent of Catholic Schools' decision. The question of tolerance, forgiveness and love that Central schools teach is in question.

I am a Central alum, from Billings Central. I was taught to love others, respect my life morally and faithfully, to forgive and ask for forgiveness when I was wrong. My religion teacher was divorced... people questioned if that was in conflict with the moral standards Catholics hold? To me, it did not effect her ability to teach religion, as matter of fact I think it gave her a whole other understanding of the pain and hurt that a lot of people go through. The same goes for Shaela Evenson, all her past kids said she had an amazing way of teaching, "teaching us so much in a short amount of time" says former student Mollie Egan. There is a lack of teachers. A lack of positive, caring, honest teachers and Butte Central is losing one.

What are your thoughts? Was Butte Central correct in firing this teacher? Is that a violation of the standards they teach? Or is firing her a conflict of the forgiveness and acceptance standard a religious school teaches?